Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 31, 1879, Page 2

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE:' MONDAY MARCH 3), 1879, RELIGIOUS. The Rav. Dr. Ryder Replies to Col. Ingersoll’s Lecture on ‘ Moses. He Thinks It “A. Conspicuous ~~ IHustration of Prejudice and Untfairness.” The Peoria Infidel Charged with Mis- represontation in Quotations and Arguments, ‘Prof. Swing’s Sermon a Dis- course on ‘The State’s Sunday.” Bome Plain Talk by tho Rev, Dr, Lorimer, of Boston—Othor Religious Matters, INGERSOLT’S LECTURE, ‘A REPLY BY MRV. DN. RIDER. ‘The Rev. Dr. Ryder, pastor of St. Paul’s Uni- versaliat Church, delivered a sermon Inst even- ing, In reply to Col, Robert @, Loeraoll’s “ sin- takes of Moses,” taking bis text from Colos- sinus, (1. 8: ‘Beware lest any man spoll you throteh philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” ‘The discourso was ns follows? Jn the commencement of this review ‘of the Jecturo upon “The Mistakes of Moses,” de- Uvered to this city on Sunday afternoon Inst, I wish two things distinctly understood: First— That my controversy fs not with the man, but ‘with his address; and, second, that ho has the same right to advocate his vicws as I havo to adyocate minc. On the question of religious Mberty we ara ns one. Furthermore, I do not wonder that certain minds, having passed through peculiar cx- perionces, become thoroughly disgusted with particular torms of theological thought, My only surprise is that more are not. Such ma- terlat fdess of the Deity ns are sometitnes put forth in the name of Christianity; such offensive Nteralizing as ts sometines applied to the future Ife, and such thoroughly untenable positions as aro sometimes taken as to what the Scriptures actually are, has Tony been a fruitful cause of fofidelity, and will continuo to be sons Jong ns thoy recelvo the Indorsement of any branch of the Christian Church, Bat {ntensity of conviction may degenerate {ota prejudice, and this projudice practically ‘unflts one to discusa the subject to which tt re- Jates. From what the distinguished lecturer says of himself, of hle determination in aycry address hw mnakes, no matter what the topic, to denounce certain views, and from the specimen of bis work now brought ander review, { con- clude that Col. Ingersoll occupies just thia pos!- tion. Wotlte, then, the right. to speak one’s honest. thought {s thus frankly conceded, nud the provocation to cmploy strong Jancuaga in refer- ence to certain theological opinions {fs also con- ceded, it will be admitted by all candid minds that certath subjects from their very nature, and from interest which they Involve, are ta bo treated with serlousneas ond fairness... If not s0 treated, the influence of the discussion Is al- most certain to be harmful. The lecture under notlee, though nominally on the errors of a par- cular character In the Old Testament, fa virtu- ally. an assault upon all revealed religion, and vspecially that contained in the Bible, Now, my first position ts this: Whoever pub- Uely attacks the sacred bouks of the Cristian world, and attempts to destroy faith in them, should treattho subject fairly. Lregret tosuy: that the lectura docs not seem to mo so to treat Sts great theme, but Is, ‘on the contrary, 9 conspicuous Mlustration of prejudice and unfairness, No small portion of ‘the lecture {s unworthy a reply, ‘There is noth- ingto reply to, Of folr argument there iso Tamentable lack,—no inconsiderable portion of the tine seems to baye been spent in knocking over aimagol straw of lls own manufacture, It hislecture be regarded simply as on enter- taininent, it [a a sticcess, for tha Colonel knows how to amuse an audience a8 well as the best; but If it were intended to be a fafr and able dis- cussion of an Important subject, It Is uot simply ‘a failure, but a fullure so obvious as to leave no room forany other opinion. Iu proof of my statement that the lecture docs not treat the tople which ft professes to dlacuss falrly, 1 offer theao specimens as cvidonca: ‘The first specimen Ja: Attriouting to Moses language nud atutementa not to be found in any of bis writings. Speaking of Moses, he auys: “The gentleinan who wrote it (Geneels) beglus Dy telling us that God mado it (the world) out of nothing? And then he proveeds to ridicule the idea. But Moses says neither that nor any- thing Ike it, ‘The lechuree thus misropre- sents tho very first scntence in tho Pentateuch. What Moses says ts, that ‘In the Ueginning God created the heavens and the earth.” What he created them out of, or when “fn the beginolug” was, he docs not say. ‘The simple thought is that the heavens and the earth were not aclf-crolved, but were creatod by the Omnipotent Jehovah “You recollect,” he saya, “that the gods came down and mndo love to the daughtors of amen," ete, Where does Moses say that? Plenty of that lind of talk ia Greclan and Ro- imaninythology, but what fins that to do with “Tho” Mistakes of Mosos?” They bullt a tower (Babel) to reach the heavens and climb dnto the abodes of the gods." Another of the Colonel's mistakes. ‘The Tower of Babel was not built for any euch purpose. From the frequent refcreuces of this kind to the god#'in councetion ‘with tha relizion of Moses, tt looks as ifjthe lect ‘uret was not aware that the Jews were not par- Aicularly tn faror of idolatry, Again’ he says: ‘'Theraisnot one word in the Old ‘Testament about woman except vords of shane and nue millation, It did not take the pains to record tbo death of the mother of us all, L hava no Teapect for any book that does not treat oman as the equal of mau,” Tt ts true that Moses does ndt record the death “of the mother of us all”; but ft is aleu trae ‘that the frat account of the burial of any poraon iu the book uf Ueovsls ia thut of 9 woman, Ba- rab, the wifyof Abraham. Moses simply saya of Adatw, ‘Te futher of us all," ‘And he died; und inastinilar summary manner are al} the other men disposed off but when it comes to thie wotnan Sarah, a special Jot has to be purchased for her, anu secured to the Sauttly, wo that her remalne might not be disturbed : uuu von bow tn remembrance af the cave of the fieJd ty which she was buried, a certain part of our modern ceincteries ts culled Machpelu. By Fhe side of this fact how dova the decluration Jook that “there fs not one word fu the Old tament about woman except words of shamo and bumillation? Suppose 1 turn the tables ‘upon the lecturer, and aay, | haveng respect for auy book that duce uot treat man ay the equal Of wouan, My words, {f uppllad to the 1ible, would be hardly tess libelous wan his, Aly second specitleation ts that he not only saakes Mosca aay wat bo does not aay, but hoe trequently mlsreprescote What he dods gay, I Lame these particulars: Fret, iow aye of the flood tw gives the {mpresslon that, according to the Scriptural account, all the water thit cove cred the earth und tnuuduted It cumy ont of the clouds in thy formof rulu. He says: “And then tt began to roio, and it kept on ratving until the water went twenty-nine feut over the highest mountaine. Low deeo were thes waters? About five & half niles. How Jung did Itratud Forty di How much diaithave torain aday! About fee! Nov hiatare the facts In the vorae which precedes the one wolch says, And the raln was upon the carth forty days and forty nights,” we bave this rev ord,—Gen,, vil, 2," Ln the 600th yearof Noah's Mle, fn the second month, the 17th day of the wwonth, tho sauye day were all the fountains of the great deop broken up, oud the windows of Ueayen were opened." Why did oot the lecturer mention this stutement of the ‘breaking up of the fountains of use great deep,” which le gen- erally supposed to refer to the upheaval or sub- sidunce of some large body or bodies of land, perhaps to poliiies of this westora coatinent, uad fs considered to bave beou the principal cause of the deluge! Why omit the supvased principal causo of the deluue, uuless tt was bls purpose to make out a cusa without regard to the facts! Furthermore, what authority bas he for eaylug that tho ark rested on tho top of a mountain, seventeon thousand foot high, and that the water upon the carth was "five nnd 9 half mites deep”? His he committed the ignorant blurder of confounding agri-dagh with the hilly district to which the name was forinerly applied? ‘Tha lofty peak that now bears the ‘nane of Ararat has no such dealgnation in Biblical history, and Js the name given to it in comparatively modern times. The Bisle record |s, Fifteen cublts up- wards did the wators prevall.” Tho Hebrew cublt isnbout twenty-two inches, If wo may trust the concluatons of eclence, deluges havo been no unuaital events in the history of this globe. Most of the land, If not all of it, no matter how high at present, has beon at somo tima submerged. Whatever one may . think about the acetiracy of the narrative in roference to the building of the ark and the uses to which {L was uty there fs certainly no physical improb- abthty {n the statement that thit partofl the earth which was then aboyo water was thoroughly inundated. Agatn, the gentleman makcs merry over what hocalls the “rib story.” and {macines tivo persons before the bar of God, one belleving the “rib story ? und theother denying It. The hellever of it’ Is accepted by the Judge ns be- longing in Heaven, and the denler of it as bo- longing in Hell, And this he puts before the publle ‘a8 Bible doctrice,—as If any inan of com- mon sense, whether Jew or (eutile, ever de- fonded av ridiculous a theory, As a further epeciinen of this tnfaleness, { present you thiss “Do you belleve the real God—if there fs one ever killod a man for Paaking hafr off?) And yet you find in the Pentatench that God cave Moser a recelpt for making halr ofl to grease Aaron's beard; and enid if anybody mado the eame hair ofl he would be killed.” ‘Thero could hardly be written a moro completo misrepre- sentation and perfect caricature of the whole subject than this. The reference to Scripture ts to an anointing off, to be appited not simply to tye persona of the pricets, but to the sacred Yessela as well—and, thus anointed, they Wore act apart for what they regarded as huly usos, Butif this custom which Mr, Ingersoll seoks to hold up to ridicule was simply Jew- ish, there would be some show or plausibility for talking avout it as he does; but ho haa not even that'to justify bis attack. For this cus- tom of using anointing ofls in connection with Te)igious services, and sacred priens, and uten- sila, was common among the {dolatrous nations, nnd even conspicuous among the rites of the Romans. And even now, one often meets with the spirit of the aumo custom. \I du not kuow whether the Colonel tsa member of the Maaonle fraternity, but he nvust have seen rep- resentativos of thnt ancient Order pour out anuinting ofl upon the cornor-stone of rome building which they were engaged fo toying Why not ridicule tliat, and why not also ridi- cule the beautiful custom of that Order of dropping upon the uncovered colfin of a de- ceased member the little sprigs of evergreen that the brethren bear {o thelr hands as they march around his open grave? It is casy to see that with refercnco to every such cus- tom, however sacred, one who takes the naked fact apart from its associations, may find abundant materiat for ridicule, But whether a falr-minded man will allow himself to treat any serlous subject in that manner ts a question upon which there fs no occasion that T should pronounea judgment, Mr. Ingersoll makes a similar blunde: fn what be says about the custom of sacrificing doves for the use of priests, since the pene did not oxist among the Hebrews until hundreds of years after the event which he seeks to ridicule. My thira specitication fs, that he treats a par- ticular interpretation of the Biblo as the undis- puted word of God. His description of what he callso Christian Heaven ts stinply an cxac- gorated representation of extreme Calvinism. Ife assumes that this or that 1s Bible doctrine because soincbody may .ob sume time bare taught ft, and then denounces the whole Biblo ag unworthy of respect of mankind. This fea- ture of the address runs through the whole of it. But, fu. this reapect, candor compels me to ay his method fs that of ‘Thomas Paine in his “ Aye of Reason.” and of a certaln class, but not the better class, of so-called infidel writera, Mr, Paine reproved the world for belfeving what he showed to be unreasonable doctrines, and called upon the — peo- ple to throw away their Bibles for teach. tn such sentiments; but ft was Mr. Paine, und noi the Bible, that was In fault, for the doc- trincs which he sted so much ink to condemn fre not taught in the Blole, Mr. Ingersoll’s method fs preclsely the same, And vet there ta this ditference: ‘The views which Mr. Paine os- saulted were those generatly held by the Chris- tian Church, and those compasing them were compuratively few and fovonspicuous; but now the conditions ure Inrgely different, and 1 yen- tre the statement thut the material concep- dons of extreme Calvinism are now rejected by the majority of Christendom, To this state of things Mr, Torersotl ts not a stranger. If he wishes to hold up to, the contempt of mankind certain doctrines thut some svct tay have be- Jeved, or even docs believe, let hin announce lis subject, keep tu bis text, and go ahead; bu to go fram place to place, exhorting the people everywhere to throw away their Bibles under the pretense that theaa representations of his are the undisputed word of God, is simply an outrage upon the Christian public, and unyor- thy any man who claims to be fair-minded, Mr, Ingersoll’s references to the clergy disnp- point me, Ie speaks of them as ff they were o set of fools, and docs not add that they are all graduates of prisons, nnd a pack of scoundrels generally. To which gentlemanly roferences wo need only say, that In this slanderous speech lie faculty ‘of the same offense azainst fairness and good breeding that is committed hy any nominal Christian who, either through blindnesa or perversity, can seo nuthing good in the services of the distinguished infldcls of history, und who, to prejudice the public against them, resort to the mean eubterfige of inisreprescnt- ing their positions, and telling falsehoods abuut them. I€ anyinan, in an address before this community, should treat the writings of Vol- talre as. sbabblty og Mr. Ingersoll has treated the writfogs of Moses,—and, ng to that, the en- tire Bible,—tho Colonel would have to go out- alle the Panims of Daytd to find Iinprecations to express his conteinpt. His referonces to Ando- ver havo, of course, nothing to do with The Mistakes of Mosca," but they relate to on fin- portant subject, and aro o pertinent {Ilustra- on cof the eminent unfairness of the general address, This ie what ho snys: “They have in Massachusetts, at o place callod Andover, a kind of mintstor factory; and eyery Professor in that factory takes an oath in every flys years that, so help him God, he will not during the next five years {otellectually advance; nnd probably there is no oath hea could easier keep. ‘They ‘bolieve ihe sume creed they fret taurht when the foundation stone waa latd, and now, when they send out a minister they brand him, as hardware from Birmingham and Shellield. And overy man who kuows where he was educated kuows hfs creed, knows every argument of bis creed, every bouk that he has read, und just what he amounts to intellectually, and knotws tint he will ahrink and shrivel and become more and more stupld day after day until ho mects with death.” My. personal sympathy with the Andover Tlicological School fs not.as you may suppose, very decp and ardant. 1 respect the generosity and selfsacrifico of the flye noble minds—oue of whom was #& woman— Unit founded the fnatitution in 1du7, and othe ald which ft has given to Mberal and exact scholarabip. On the whale, 1 do not Ike the rule to which Mr. Ingersoll re- fors, Probably many of those fn charge of the fustitution do not, I understand it to be a cus- tom contingent upon certuin endowments mado tong ago, and which iv observed aa a matter of form, But the rule ts not falrtyopen to tho ob- ection that Mr, Ingersoll makes aguinst it. First, italimply rolates to the theological pro- {orsora, snd coos not coucera the student: Sexond, it compols no man to take It who docs not wish to. ‘The University says, in cifect, wo belleve in certain doctrines; wo desire the in- atructlon of thle tkution to bu In acceord+ ance with these idei Can you consclentuusly iwach them! Ifso, wo wish you; If uot, wo do not wish you, But It you come to us, you aro not compelled to romain, but can go where you will, und) when = vou will, wud teach what you. please; but ao long ws you rematn iu the acrvive of thla tu- stitution we expect you to carry out the pur- poses of tte founders. What la there tn thla that is particularly narrow and dementing} But the Colonel repudiates ils own positions. ile gay ‘The common school {6 the bread of life, but there should be nothing taughtin the school except what somebody knows; auytbing else should not be malitained by a system of gun eral taxation." Bat, let us Inquire, who is to decides what somebody knows? t Practically, the anaser ly, the people, or thelr ropresantatlves, in school hoards, comimittees, etc, ‘They select the text- books, und they expuct fostructors whom they engaue to follow them, for the text-books are assumed to embody what ts true on the subjects. to which they relate, What would the lecturer aay of a teacher In oue of our public achools who ahould to-day teach the rejected doctrine that the sun revolves about the earth! What, but this: turu him out and put sotme one in his piste who teaches the truth,—whicb, being tn- erpreted, means, teaches according to the au- thorized text-booke. Why, on the very occa, sion of the lecture itself, after the Colonel dad denounced Audover for pledging loyalty to certain doctrines, aud which act he character- (zesas so harmiul to freedom of thought, he himself demande of the people woom he {6 sd- drosalug that they wilt nevor suppors a certalo form of doctrine, nur give money to ald to building any church in which they are taught, His language T would havo évery one who hears me awear that ho will never contribute another dollar to build anotuer church in which fa touche such tofamous Iles. Mark you, pot simply a plodge for flve years, but ithey are never to change their views. My friends, ts thero no atch thing as consistency in belicft Is one a bigot because ho says, This fs what Tt bo- Neve, and this, therefore, Idefend! Ara theae men to be ridiculed and assailed, and only those who shirk such rt onsibility to be held mp as patterns and gifics? Brothron Tam not speaking of some sophdmoric oration, but about the deliberate thought of a man who has made hiinself famous in this Ine of labor, and of whom our townsman who gracefully Introduced him said, “aman who does his own. thinking, nnd who thinks before hasays.”? Now, of every such man it ts safe to say, ho knows that organiza- tion ts esacnttal to the welfare of society, and is perfectly vonsistent with literty of thought, ‘The freo-thiukers of this country aro organized ag well ns others; and itis their right to be St they have anything to teach or defend. Christian combination, agatost which some peo- ie hurl thelr aunthemas, ia simply the eroup- Ing tozether of those who haves afmilar wind and purpose, the better to do this work which they nave in common, Of courso there haa been In connection with some of these denomina- tions a fcarful amount of bicotry, When wo coine to that topic we are quite at home. Big- otry is tio friend of ours: we owe him no serv- fee: ‘The denomination which this church represents lias received from the domi- nant eects abont us pretty large share of persecution and abuse. But, forall that, we do not propose to follaw the Jecturct’s example and call our brethren hard names, alrmply because they spoly such epithets tous, The difference between the lecturer and ourself is this; we iliscelininate between sectari- anism, which [sa neccesity,—belng slmply the principle of loyalty, whother applicd to the ecct, the nation, the corporation, or the family,—nn bigotry, which is an abuse of ft, whilo ho con- domns the whole Bible, on the ground that it contains cortain doctrines which ha loathes, and which ho Toathes ‘no more heartily than millions of others. It {s our joy, finding in It no such repuldive doctrines, to accupt, the Hible ry Sontnining a revelation of God, and to regard the words of our Lord with tenderness and af fection, and with loyalty of wil, We have os atrong a desire that the whole truth shonid be told in regard to the Scriptures ag he, nnd wo are fully persuaded not only that they will bear the light, but that hey will have 8 firmer place In the confidence of all richt-minded_ people the better they are truly understood. But this de- afred result can be reached only throurh patient nnd reverent study, and fa always hindered by Digotry on the one hand, and indiscriminate condemnation on the other, My fourth specification ie, that ho misrepre- sents the writings of Moses, and, as to that, the entiro Bible, by treating {ts mnotaphoric language as Hteral statements. ‘Think of a mon, In this age of Nght, sneaking of the pictured representation of thie Old Testa- ment in this way: ‘They believed that an angel could tnke a lever, raise window, and let out the desired quantity of molsture. 1 find out fo the Pealms dat ho bowed the heavens and camo down.” {wonder if the gentleman can aca anything butmere Hteralism in this passage? As the mountains round about Jerusalem, so the Lord fs round avout Iils people from hence forth even forever.” Like other nations, the Hebrews have thelr patriotic, descriptive, didac- tie; and lyrical poems in the same yarictics as other nations; but with them, unlike other na- tions, whatevermay bo the form of their poctry, it alwoya posscascs the characteristic of religion, Even thelr patriotic songs are a part of thelr re- gion. The Jews have taught the world its de- yottonal poetry. If there is to bo found any- where conceptions of tho Delty and of the unt- verse more remarkable for their sublimity mud grandeur than are mot with in the sacred books of the Jews, I know not whero to look for them. Certainly when they are compared with the religious pooms of othor countries, most nearly contemporaneous, ns those of Homer ani tHeslod, they aro #0 vastly superior as to lead to the belict that, ir the pocts of idolatrous Greece drew thelr inspiration from human genlus and learning, those of Judca bad a higher Mlumtnation, My fifth spcelfication is, that the ropresenta- tion eiven ta the lecture of the Hebrows ag a people is almost wholly Iocorrect, both as to the work undertaken by them and the effect of that work upon mankind, “8 Wo havo no disposition to shut our eycs to the ignorance, craelty, and suporatition of the Tlebrow race in the early periods of their his- tory. There was but little in them that gave the promise ofa great nation when Moscs Jed them out of Egypt. ‘They were low in the scale of clyilization. Many of thethings done by them we canuot justily, und wo ore not required to do so. But what arrests our attention ts, tat al- most from the flrat they show o gradual iin- provement In their condition, and finally reach that proud pre-amlnence when Jerusalem, be- came the Athens of its day. There ara. two. poluta of view from which to judgoof the eurly history of any people; Ono fs, to compara it with that of contemporary nations, nnd the other {s to coninare it with our own the. It is manifest thatthe formar fs the proper basis of Judginent. Consider, then, ag already intimated, who the poople tere that Moses thus led outof Egypt. Roiloct that thoy were but children in intelligence, and thnt the higher forms of thouwht bad but little indueneo over thems and that if they were hold to the Jaw of duty, and organized into a nation, it must bu by such materia) formes and simple customs ag they could comprohend, — Hotlect furthermoro that tesa people bad been brunght up in the midat of idolatry, und that in leaving Egypt they did not get ‘away from its tutluenees, but that, wherever they went, they were assailed by it; that idolatry was. al- most the univeraul form of worship, and tint It waa a mighty task to educate these people iu tbe doctrine of the ono only living and true God, and hold them to [t, “Reflect, further- more, that to secure this end much might then be done which, under tho clreumstancea, would bo at least oxcuenblo, that shoul not ba done now. Fairness requircs that wo consider whother the custom originated with thy Jews themselves, und what was {ts spirit and purpose, Prominent mention fs mado in the locturo of polygamy in connection with the Jewa, and one would Infer fram what ho says that the custom of plurality of wives originated with them, and that it was a custom pecullar to them. This fa his language: ‘Ia there a woun bere who belleves in the {nstitution of polygamy? Is thero a man here who belloves {n thatinfamy? You say, ‘No, we donot.’ ‘Thun you aro better than your God was 4,000 yoara ago. Four thousand years ago he belleved ‘tn Mt, taugiit {ty and upheld tt.” The facts appear to be theso: Polygamy has existed from time tm- memorial. Even in the tomeric. age of the reeks It prevailed to aomo extent, nud, though not known in republican Rome, ft practically revalled under the Empire, owing to the prava- junce of divorce; butin what we call the Enst- ern nations the custom hag been almost unl- versal, belng sanctioned by all religione, inelud- ing iat of Mohammedaniam, in tla regard the Hebrews, to a certaln extent, followed the prevatent custom, viz.; the law of Moses did not forbid it, but did contain many provisions against {ts worst abuses, und such as wore in- tended to roatrict {t within narrow mite; und, as the eplrit of the Hebrew relluton advanced the civilization of the natlon, Uw practice more and imoro fell into disuse, until it finally ded out; and in the glimpses of Jowlsh lif which the New Testament gives us there aro no traces of {tdiscernihlu, Bince tha Hobrew raco tho world over, for some 9,000 yours, has as much as voy other people discountenanved auch practices, though stl lrmly belleving in Moses as tho prophot of God, (t {a clear that they do nat consider polyguny any part of the Jowlsh system, but v custom neruiltted for a seasun be- cause so unlversally pragticad by the surrouud- ing nations, Rut just here comes fn s queation of high im- portancy, [f there is nothing Judaism to oxalt woman,—aid every referenicu to her in their sacred booketsone of “hurntitation and shame,""— how happons (t that the Jewa discarded tho cus tom of polygamy some 2,000 years ago, whilo the practice still prevails ainong the nations of the esst, and notably in Mohammedantem, which in go inany respects takes tlie exturual form of Judalamt ‘The truth fs, that grout injustice has been dons to the real religion of the Hebrews by both Christians und unuellavers. Wo have judged it tno exclusively by the Mosaic Inw, und the more letter of that that. Real Judaism ts not the Old ‘Testament, but that shich bas come = ont of {tthe result of its growth nnd the expansion of {ts inherent forces, Long before the advent of our Lord the Mosaic law had virtually given ray to the Jowish rellyton, und it }fs that religion, the epirit of which in tho beginning so largely came froin the great tow giver himself, that hus bud throo thousiud years of oxlatenca tocertity its rizit to live, and which to-day aseigns (taimost hovorable piace among the religions of humanity, And in dismissing, this branch of our subject it acoms pertinent tO In- uutie, where dil Moses obtain his religious ideas ¢ The Exyptlans hud reached high advancement tn tho arta anil selences In the time of dtoses, but their degredation {n reference to religion ts un- mistabuble. Itda anid of Moses that, ho *! was Jearned {uy all the wisdom of the Evyptians aud was mighty fu words and deoda," and ho was no doubt greatly aided by what he had learned from them, but {t scems tou evident to admit of discussion that be did uot get hia religious idess from that source. Whence came they! But, whatever may ba our anewer to this question, there can be, It seams to me, but ong opinion as to the respect dus to the Mustrioug relizious leader who has mado upou the race so profound au iinpresslon for good. ‘The tive apcciticutions now before you cover the evidence we offer of the correctnices of our general proposition, viz.; that the address upon The Mistakes of Moacs,"' made ta this city by Col. Robert lngersoll ou Sunday afterngun lass, isn conspicuous fMlustration of prejudice and aofalrness, And now, after having sald so much In refer- ence to what the Bibic ts not, it nay be profit- able brietly to consider what the Bible really 1s. Wo address to oursolves theso ytiestions: What Goes the Bible profess to he? Marticularly, tn what lh are we to reaard the Old Testament, and esnecially the carly chapters of itt The (rat fact to bs noticed in reference to the Bible fs, that {t is not one book, but many books; not even many chaptors of ono book, but sixty- aix separate buoka, bound together for vonven- fonce, nnd originally known ae the Scriptures of the Old and Now Teatament, It required 1,010 yeara to make the Bivlu. The oldest book In The Bible ts supposed to bo that of Job, und, {f a0, It 1s the oldest trerary production now ox- tnot, ‘Tho firat lve books of the old Testament are called the Pentatouch, or tho flyo-fold-vol- ume, Moses fs supvosed to be the author or compller of these books, except the last chanter of the ilfth. ‘Theao,fivp books are succecdted by Ulatorical books, of whieh there ara twelve rang. ing from Deuteronomy to Esther. ‘These his- torical books cover abet 1,000 years, ‘Thea come the poctical books, of which the Peatins 1s apromident specimen; and then the prophet- feal books, of which thero nro six- tecn, Between tha closing of the Old Tes- tamont und the Opening, of the New Is an {it tervat of 460 ycars. ‘The New Testament fs inade up of the four accounts of the ono life of our Lord; tha hblatory of tho planting of the -early church; the twenty-one epistles or letters writton by flye of the Apostles, and the grand epic known as Roydlations. Retracing our stops, wo find fn the orderof intellectual development, first, the ten commandmonts, This was the central, pervading force, Then camo the lay, aud these two were, for a considerable period, ail thero was of the Jewish Scriptures. Aa time went on, and the Jews ‘oro broitzht into contact with other nations, and had varied ex- perieucea of success and dofect, the other books Were written, all grouping themselves around the commandments aud the lav, as the central rule of the people, ‘The Old Testament fs be- Moved to have been completed some 400 ycars before Christ, olther by Ezra ar Malachi. ‘There are some things tu reference to the ou- thorshlp of the Old Testiment that are porplex- ing. This {8 eapecially.true of the carly chap ters of the Book of Genesis, Moscs was pro ably the author, but Moses did not live until some 2,500 years after some of the ovents which ho recorde bad tranaplred. he could not have been an eye-witne: jor did ho obtain the information? All the speculations upon this subject are finally resolyed into two: Either the facta were given him by special inspiration, or ho gathered them frum "pre-existing records, ‘Tho Jatter is the more probablo theory. ‘There {g too mucn accuracy for conjecture, and yet not enough to Justify the demands of divine in- spitation. Furthermore, thero are certain in- ternal evidences in those carly chapters tomake it more than probable that they are_a compila- tion of pre-existing documents. The regular narrative by Moacs muy be said to begin about. the eleventh chapter. Now, in reforence to the previous ten chapters there are two {tmportant ucts to bo remenm:ercd: First, they cover o period of of loagt 1,650 years; utd, second, they ear the form of a series of sketches that are not stinply detached, but are often seemIny- ly unrelated to eachother. With thls general outline of the composition of the Bible before us, We are propared intelligently to answer these questions: Firat—-Ia overy part of the Bible of like vatue? Assuredly not. If what we aye soil ia true, some portions of the Biblo must bo of far greater value than other portions of ft. Notably, in reference to the Old Testament, the Pentatouch {s of inoro value than the historical books, and of the Pentatench, the regular narrative {s of much more, value than the pre- Hmlnary chapters; and the Psalms and Isainh must be awarded a hleher rank than the minor prophets; und when we come to the Now Teata- ment the gospels trauscond iu worth all else. Second—If one part of the Bible is found to ‘bo Inaccurate either as to fact or doctrine, is {t falr to infer that the Bible in all its parts is un- rolinble? Assuredly not. ‘Tho pre-patrlarchal piotuies wolch are given in the early chapters in jeneals may be, or inay not bo, consistent with our present knowledge; ao far as the rellable- ness of the gencral Mosafe record is concerned, it {6 a question of very small moment which way you may decide. So indeed might certain books be taken out of the canon and. still the essential record retains, That there aro crrorsin the statement in the Old Testament, chicily in reference to figures, is too obvious to bo disputed. ‘The number of tho Hebrews who left Egypt under Moses, and to which Col. Ingersoll refers, is, perhaps, one ‘of these, Thore are probably records of false miracles in someof the historical books, and thero-is reasonable doubt as to the gonuineness of certain veraca aud parts of chap-. ‘ters, as in I, Samuel, chap. xvii, There are also instances In which’ there fs confusion and ats- agreement in the igo or omisston of the names of persous and places, somotines explicable and somclines not, But when this is sald, and when all fs sald that falrly can be on this topic, the fact of the general aceuracy of the Old ‘Testa- ment remaing, No uiaterlal question fs in any way disturbed. Tho errors aro trivinl indeed. ‘The refiabillty of the historic portion of the Old. Testament ia not any longer au open question. ‘The accuracy of its statements has been tested in tao many ways to adinit of serious doubt, ‘Third—Must one comprehend evorything that {s taught fn the Bible in order to apprehend anythin}. Certainly not. A portion of tho Old Testament relates to the Infancy of tho race, and hua no direct connection with our age un moies of thought. ‘It 1s quite impossible for the ordinary Bible reader to place the customs and exporfenees of n far-away period in their truo light so as to comprehend thelr relations to the casuntial things. ‘Ag to the mode fn which the Divine communt- cations wero originally made to man, it 1s proper aomething should be sald, Continually in the Old Testament, snd in tho carly portton al it, we meet with the declaration, “and God sald.” # God aald let thoro be Nght." Of course there ‘Was no one present to hear, The form of ox- pression fg slinply the writer's method of repre- senting the puraonallty of Gud in Divine opera: tlons, und is merely a matter of metaphor. ‘The sume is true in referonce to what God is repro- sented to bave said tb Adam, and to Eve, to Nonlt, and others,—merely a form of writing, Nor aro we'juatlited jo beleving thatGod actual- ly tatkedt with Moses ‘upon the mount, or that the fotinite Jehovah actually camo down within the slzht of the peopto after Moses had received the law, ‘The account covers an finportant fact, but the method of expression is pictured and peculiar, Wo are expressly told in the frat chapter of John’s Gospel tbat "no man hath seou God at any time.” Viewing the early chapters of Gunealg in this ght, they are cer- tainly not without futercst, and largely free froin diftlenlties, Science might now give, In the phraseology of modern speceh, & more nc- curate account of the order of creation than that whlch we flod there, but auch an account would not reflect the conceptlonsof thegarly age of thezworld, And after the creation of the physical world we cet a glimpse of the moral realm. ‘Tho eternal queation of evil confronts man at the very begluding, ‘The atory of the Gurden of Eden ts 9 pictured rupresentation of the struggleof humanity,—the Introduction of moral evil Into the world, Tho rib of the man, out of which the woman 1s sald to have been made, is uo more true than the ‘tres of the kuowledge of good und evil,” or the serpont! that talked with Eve. Each ea part of a gon- eral pletura, und has no signifleation excopt as metaphor, Tha: Tower of Babel vividly pre- serves the tradition, now generally conceded to be based on trath, that all loneuages had a com- mon origin. Of the account of the daluge uns has tu speak with more caution, since It {6 dlitl- cult tu distinguish hutween actual occurrences and the erude notlons of the the which tradl- Yon embodies. The reason glvcu for the flood, the wickedness of mankind, seems Ike a rem- nant of the pre-patriarchat age, and the story of the ark may be Wkewlse n remnant of some pro- historic documents what the exact facts are it Beans now {inposalble to bell, and tt certainly is pot cssuntiat to know, Turning now from the speciat topics of the address, Wo ask your attention’ to the two gen- eral themes which are -nvotyea In thts discus- sion. Lnatne, drat, tho assault upon revealed religion, naif the dua of h revelation or I guidance was an-abaurdity, zereull uses this ianguage: Nothing {ration but a. falvatiood or a mistake, ver went iuto-partnershio with a mir- A fact will Ot every other fact fo the unlyeres, und that ie how you cao tell whother or not it fsa fact.” Supposo we tast this ula, How about good and ovll, truth and error, tho mysterious and the :avident, divinv —soy- ercignty and humau : freedom, treut ond cold, ort antl secatlcismt, economy utd Denevalence, government and freedom, each of which {6 an undisputed fact, but each two facts that wo thus group together n0 more Weeach other than thy centripatal and centri- {ual forces, which, acting in opposite direc tions, hold the unlverse togethert My frtends, there Isa recognizable distinction between the kuowable and unknowable, But the Hue that scparatcs the two le opt stiarply dofined. ‘the vorder land between them svems gomotines neat and at.other times very far away. ‘Tho 5 realin = beyond = the = knowable = fa the realin ots mystery, and out of it come some of the most potuntial forces that sway our lives. What we call the kuow- able {s thove things that can bo demonstated,— can bo proved to be true by 8 practical method, Hut consider how smalt @ portion of our real Mfo le covered by sny auch form of real evi dence. For, uelthcr our affections, nor our testes, nor our judgments, norour pallets, nor our smbitions, nur the bigher exprcsstons of our qora! natures, cau be thus demonstrated, ‘Tooy da nos in sny way Wepend upon the claasl- ) fleation of facts In nature, but are cogntzablo by onr conclousness, and arc ao widely operative in our datly life, that {t almost secins ns {f what we call the knowablo never totches us at all. Sctonce has nothing to say about, or to do, with either morals, religion, benorolence, duty, or inspiration, ‘The sotirces of Hfe, the causo of thought, of affection, passion, hope, and love, aro all incomprehensible to sclonce, and will re= main ao till the end of time. ‘Thera is no aclenca of the soul, any moro than therods o prayer in mathematica.” Mow utterly, then, docs one = misapprehend and — misstate the real facts of human experience, who tenchos that “nothing weeds inspiration ‘but a falsehood, or a mistuko," nnd thatone fs to accept nothing as true which cannot be dem- onstrated. Tow tuch wiser and how tnuch be ter ore tha words of St. Augustine, whe he says? “God dxigts more truly than Ho can be thought of: Hecan bathonght of more truly than lie can bo spoken of.” For myself, I Foxerotitly be- lleva that the Bible containa o reyelutlon from God, Tsay contains a revelation from God, not (hatitiein Itself such o rovelation, for the Bible, as such, was not reyenled. ‘The inspira: tion that breathes through ita paces ts of someof the things written, but not of all; the Inepira- tlon is rather of the thought, purpose, the lead- ings of God, than of the letter In which they are expressed. There {s, to tny mind, no appeal from the words of Christ onco satisfled that tlo uttered the sayings which are attributed to Hin in the Gospels, and they are, to mont least, fn- fallily true, and Hteral ty “the words of eternal Hfe.” ‘The other general theme to which I refor is, that the Jniluctice of such an address ns that under notice fe to deatroy the religious faith which the people now have and give them noth- ing in return, + t is true Mr. Ingersoll commends to his hearers * the religion of humanity.” But what. docs he mean by jt? The auswor fs, he mncans simply Atheism, which fe virtually the rejection of all religion, elnce tt {8 the dental of the boing of God hiuiself. Now with God dethroned, the name rellgion has no further use, What, then, is the religion of humanity tu those who deny the existence of God, and ‘lenve everyeulng, either to chance or {nexorable Jaw? One might safer from the assunption of these Athelstic teachers that freo thinkers are the only peuple who tiave any religion of humanity, or who practico It. "She generat Impression made by the Colonel's lecture is that Cliristians aroa tad lot,—mean, hypocritical, dermented kiud of folks; und tbat bricht and progressive people, such as “haye brains” (though it does ot require a large sup- ply of that articlu to quali: 1 ono to ridicule anuther persons religion) und “do thetr own tUblnking,” reject all such absurdities as revealed religion, und are governed by some sort of a higher law. Now that this view of human unturo, so com- plimentary and congenial withal, ts “quite tak- dug?” is very Ilkely true, Onu likes to be patted on the back in thts way, und be called “pro- gresalve,” and not hide-bound Ike those old fo~ files, and stupfdjtheological gractuates, and owlish ministers, and such sort of folks. But sume- how It docs not seem to stay upon the public stomach after itistaken. For this is just the Kind of talk fn which nolsy Infdels hayo in- dulged for the past 800 years, ‘Christianity Is virtually extinct,’ they say, and naw we nro to havo 4 new order of things? But, for some reason Christianity does not die, and the world moves forward in much tho old way, ‘Tho trath is, sone things scem Very well o8 declamation that utterly elude you when you attempt to ambody them in vital forms, As theories they look well, but tn practico they are worthless, “They ara as beautitul 2g foan and just os substantial. Whero are the monuments of frec religion? In the struggle for reliclous liberty in France I recognize the powerful in- Slucnce of Voltaire; and on advocacy of a true democracy in this country, very fow, if any, more by thelr open than Thomas Taino; but, aside from — these general benefits to soctoty, wheru aro the tes- timontes of the work they wrought? What did thoy do forthe more purfect organization of s0- claty, and for the elevation and purity of the public morals? I repeat, where ate the monu- ments of this free religion? Las it nothing to show fn Itsown behalf but slanderous assor- tlons? And has ita most distinguished atyo- cate in this country degenerated into a justing scoffer? Who bulit tho fustitutions of Ivarning throughout the Christian world, and who sup- porta them? ‘Vho organized the institutions of charity, and who sustains them? I repeat, thia “religion uf humanity,” whatever that may be, does well enough to talk about, but, somchow, when there is eolld work to bo done nobody wants it, and, somehow, vobody acems to do or pay much toward supporting It. ‘ho leading unlyorsitics In Germany thut did 60 much forty years ago in disseminating Ratfonallain are now comparatively emoty, whlle those of the raligions school are patronized, To-day every prominent university {n’ Germany exeeps that jn Heidelberg is controled in the interests of revealed religion, and Heldelberg hos but vory few theological students left. And, if ono may judge of the effects of teach- Ing by the deportment of thoso taught, it wilt be, T think, nearly the uonnimous opluton of travelers that they ure very Bulls! instructed, foraprotninont part of the business of the studeute of that institutfon scems to be to get up quarrols with cach other ana with the public, and tyht ducls. Tho truth fs, tat the sober second thought of the thinking world has shut its “colossal shears” upon the theorles of Bauer, Strauss, and Ronan, and no wisdom of mian will ever rounite the dlssoverad frazments, How strange it is that nearly all the world should. be such sinipletons, nud that human nuture peralsta in exploding all theas fIne theo- rics that haya no real religion in them, But then, you know, suine people aro wise In thelr own conceits, Lot mo relate on incldent: "An eminent Inwycer had in court a vory clear ense. After presenting sn array of testimony, law, and Precedents that he thought was unanswerable, he submitted his ease. To his utter astontsh- ment, the Judge, who waa bigotedly and dog- matically on the opposite side in prejudice, decided” avery point of the caso against him, After ho bad recovered from his umaze- ment, he arose und preceeded to read Bluck- stone und leading jurists, the statute law, und judiclat decisions, flatly contradicting tho de- elslon of the Court. ‘Tho Judge pompuusly [n- terrupted him with: “That will du you no good; the mind of the Court is made up; can- not change it.” ‘Pho lawyer replied; “1 have no expectation of changimy the opinion of the Court, Ldo not question the fnfalllbility and the infallible accuracy of its decision. only want to show what consummate fools Black- stone, Kent, und all jurists, our legislators, and all yho Judges, exeept the Judge of this Court, inust Daye been,” Christian friends, Ido not say that the people who assembled in the Exposition Building on Bunday last and on the nleht preceding are the untural frultagy of such teachiags as thut which Mr, Ingersoll gave in a certain theatre on the eaine Sunday; put T dosay thatof thethousands. {a the Expoalilon Building, there wors probably yery few who do not, Ike iin, rejuct the clatins of all religion, And {go further and say that the influences upon the community of atch an atldresa as that made by him does but widen the crevasse through which the turbulent waters of wuctat disorder are poured upon socloty. « Friends of humanity, lovers of the truth as it is in Jeaus, can wo afford to tritle with such o momentous Issuc a8 thist Ie there nothing ea- cred, nothing but the more husk of things in which itis safe furus to place our faith? la there no permanent Joy this side tho grave, and outy the blucknugs of darkness beyond? Is the religion lu which so many millions trust simply adelusion, snd the Gad whom we adore merely amytht Lf so, why aro woin this world, wid what ts this world! Whatis anythlag for but to lure us iuto disappolutinentt Nay, wo believe tn God, the Father avor- Tasting, andin Jesus Christ Els Son. In the love which Thuy awaken, wo desire to live; and {n the trust whlch Thuy luspire, we hope to dis, THE STATIS SUNDAY, BERMON DY PROP. swing. * Prof, Swing preached yesterday morning at the Central Church, tating as ols tuxts Tha Sabbath waa made for wan, and not man fo: tho Babbath. Wark, ky 27, ee That day of reat which pasace under the sov- eral uames of Sabbath, and Sunday, and Sev- enth day, and Lord's day has been shown of Jato years to possess other valucs than ite religious worth, [tls not probable that lt was established, by the Hebrews for only religious onde. In tt was coutaldcd the logic that, Inasmuch ss the Creator rested after six most industrious di therefore mau should ou the seventh day act at Uberty his oxon, and bie alavos, und bis work: men, and should a3 it seemed to the fancy ordor A repose even for the Golds and tha flocks, ‘The service of God formed a» large eloment in tho logic of the Saubuth, but did noe exhaust its import. Mao has many wants, His soul demands moments or hours of worsnip, and quict houts are wieso, but so also both soul and body need hours of rest besides those lost in sleep, houre whon the tuiler tn shop, or store, or bank, and atudio, or Meld, can dress bimself in bis bost clothes and can straighten up bla woary fraine aud enjoy for a day the awaet con- aclousnoss of being free soul iy a wonderful world. fen bending over work or books, or running to and fro on the street to make good 4 note, or to heg for graco, do no} seu the earth aud {ts contents; do not sce, the spring come, donot hear the birds aing, do not mark, the ureat blue abave them, du not even thluk duel of honiy, or wife, or child, butwhieu the seventh day comes and stops all the whols of business, und tho cyes wake upon that quist moraumz, behold the soul suddenly realizes that {t Ilves, lives ng a creatitre of strange powers, und tastes, and destiny, On Sunday mornin; that sublime lundscape called human life. and emotfonal, and toll A Sabbath for man ta 41 to measure flrat the Idea of man. deeply his soul needs on altar andahymn, and understand the mystery of the which nwvalts him, wo might, out of such rich promfsos, jearn the value of this ssventh day— that dayof intellectual and physical Uberty; but with man so unreadable, uvrcadablo till remain (im by the wisdom of an- that Sunday mado for hi tiquity. It {sa dny for man, for man as thinker, as toffer, ns 4 happinces-sceker, aud asaretigious being. ‘Many whose minds nro hostile to the Church have suffered themselves tu become hostile to the institution called Sunday, a8 though it was an inyontion of ascct, and was appointed for sectarian purposes, but a wider survey would teach them that not only man’s reliziuus nature but all bis higher qualities domund this day of liberty, I. know not whether we need aucha any more as religions beings than we do ag Intellectual and emotional beings and o3 Wheover aces the men of culture polng perk phyatcal beings. all grades of Inbor and homo Saturday evenluga must leurn from the ainile on thelr faves that the bondage of toll Is to ‘The traveling sales-.. inan, the merchant called oway from his city or bo cast oslde fora timo, village, the lawyer called toa remote court, the Judge on his cireult, all study all the ways and means of reaching home by Saturday night. After such a tiventy-four hours! Iberty they can resuine again the routine of their pursuits. It may be possible that a positive “religion sect the Sabtibath going, but if so that must huve been because the religious sentiment was the most Femertul, und could shape conduct at its will. if such waa the case, theo our tutcllects, u our poor sabor-tvorn bodies, our hones, our common morals, may thank religion for doing a work which no other sentiment or quality of the soul was able to establish. large is thus indebted to sccuring to soclety blessing. When. the presses his. Mankind at such a porpatual contempt for the els the elds wit! his race, what a stranger aven to that taste which loves o day of beautiful. allenco and And if tho non-religious soul cares nothing for any church, and yet loves the rest on this day, he should at least bless re- Higion eact brtaht Bunday morning that it had t Denuti{ul peace. the posver and the wisdom to arreat for one day in_soven the vabel of the strects. It ts somothing of a hardship that the quantity of man's labor should be so larga.» to consume ‘That wo nittat all toll six-sovenths of his thine, so much for wliat we can oat nud wear seeing o form of: misfor:uno, Houorablo and essential as labor {s, there fs a Imit to itsquantity. Wkea {tleayes no time for auything cleo than work, then it has passed over the limit of fts uscful- ness, and has begun to abrade body, und the mind, and the soul. It to the quantity of tabor already too large wo must the hours of Sunday and make our nation an everlasting shop, then are we to be as ‘The stx Sdaye’ struggle come nour rulnlug the bodies and brains of 80 imapy that any words against the rest-day of the give up galley slaves at once. people micht well awaken simply indignation. 1 must conclude that the Sunday man. Like tho fresh alr whic this day and geo that mean Who ls to stand the hour £ ask who arc to be the to man? My own opinion should be confessed to exist sucha thin; the Sunday of the Church, and that the people, who in thls country ara the Government, shoul sco to ft that this great do out into a higher bicssing than it has yot been. Unless we make a distinction botweon the Sun- day of Christianity and the Sunday of Mau, 10 taws can be pasacd except by means of a war between the public and the Church, and no law if passed amid atch tumu.t can enj anid faithful aplication, dead on the books because they sprang from some temporary religious oxcitement, and he til-will of those not onrolted in any of the church books. Bat if aroused fo the artset the Idea of Sunday ts a human {dea and hag immense value aside from Ita Christian yaluo, then it belongs to o high statesmanship to find out this human good und to protect and develop {t by, the wisest legtalation. the young must enjoy schooldays, and to this end bullds custly achoulbouses and furnishes them with teachers, with lorarics, with sclen- tifle apparatus and taxes tho rich man with or without children thatthe children of the pourest laborer may be educated, so tho State should hasten to learn that hee poor and bard-tolling and her atulying and thinking Jaborera all nce one day fo seven that shail be full of rest and wace. 4 Onco education wag all entangled with the Church. The Church, Protestant aud Catholtc, had slways governed the modern world, and it could not understund that there was an edit ention of mau quite differant from the educu- ton of the Christlan, Lt argucd, and lament ed, und threatened, In the debate about the religion of the schools, And as lato as to-day the Catholics cannot dlatligulsh between the study of reading and writing and general morals and tho study of thelr own puaitive falth,—can- not realize that the farmer does not exclude tha latter. ‘Cho Bishop of Cleveland has recently felt called upon to warn the perenta and guar- dians fn bis tifocese to keep thelr children away from the schools of the Government. To lili pastoral letter influential Catholics are reply- ing to the exact point that man hos many things to learn which do not belong to the empire of religion, broad and holy though that empire be, But slowly docs the Church learn to perceive the broad side of Ife, called the human slde, und on it goog, augry at the grammar und the belle lettres which do uot cud fn an fudoreement of erced, But amid alt thls old jargon of voices the majority of yotes has learned that there {60 schoolhouse for tho State and for man As woll as the schoolbguse for tho Christian; und conceding porians that the Christian achool- house may be the hetter one, the State, unable to establish and advance a Christin scnool, hus urged forward Its awn with wonderful onercy and success. ‘This distinction and evparation of schoolhouses hos beon one of the blessed dla- tinctlons of the century, tor, white the denoml- nutlons are debating about. what are the valua- ble elements of lvarning, and whtla thoy aro thus educating a sinall group of children, the State toachaa what be to humanity, and opensa school for the boy that may or may not bo a Catholic ora Protestant, but which will be human soul to the end, The Church must make Christiana, the State must bo satisticd with men, % These statements will illustrate tho thought that another distinction must be drawn und espoused,—a diatinction between the Sunday of the Christian and the Bunday of tho Goy- ernment. Walving the question whether the Christian day is not the far better one, it must dellne und urge forward its own day as the only onv wuder the caro of political cthica, As statesmanshtp . discovered on education for the people, so tt cua easily discover a Bunday for the thronging populace, aud, having discoy- ered ft, It must follow the now truth by now action, Such @ couclusion folluwa from this assumption that tt {3 the sole business of status- manabip sto Ieara whut will most beneflt the public und then to make actual that good. Whea public meo, whoo ail who vote have sim- ply passed laws against steallng, and killing, aud a few similar offenses. they bave not discharged the high dutics of suffrage, for there are great virtues und blessings to be built up as woll ad great crimes to ba punishod. It Ie with the tate as with the arttst, or scholar, or profcs- sional man,—it must always be attempting tuper- fect itself,—that ts, to secure the most happiness for thu most. Tf this Us the mission of & hich politics, thea the Sunday question Iios before all votera, and all City Councils, und Leglalaturcs asaquestion which couceals within iteelf a groat oubito evil or a’great public good, Agale, soparating tha ideatnto two parts,—a civil part and an ecclesiastical part,—the Stato can urge onward its own form of Sunday with- out entangllug iteclf with the creeds of the de- nominations, and without causing tha unheltey- jug members of soclety to feel that they are be- ing fettered by statutes which were drafted in sume caucus of clorgymen. Lawes springing up out of the intellectual, and spiritual, and physic. ol wauts of meu would perbaps draw auch a throng of voters, avd, after enaction, would claim such an obedience as would uot result from any lawe that should acem to spring from the zeal or orojudiceof the reilulons, Common tho heart is placed on a mountain top from thich ft purvara 0 Sunday ever so valuable as a day of positive worshfp of God, {t posacsses the additional yalus of being a blessed season for man, hot asa Christinn oras a delat, but for man asa rational, and resting creature, nething eo vast thatin order to measttre tho {dea ft wold be necessary Could we es- timate the being for whom tho day of reat wos made, could wo loarn how much love and thought his homo demantls, could wo find the value of his solf-introspection, the valuo of bis tneditation, could we appralso man's imaginn- tion, and fancy, and poetry, could we Joarn how jeath fifty-two days in the becr-nhops. religion for irreligious man ¢x- Chris- tan Sunday, and purauce his daily worls, or tray- his gunand dogs, he js simply showing what a stranger be is to the wants of the was made for the lungs 80 love to breathe, like the blue spring sky which the aie toves to seo, like the food ntan loves to eat, like the truth ho Joves to lvurn, Sunday cones with hours fitted perfectly to the human apirit. It springs notfrom religion but from mat, ‘Theso things boing 80, who 1s tolook after f$ {6 not destroyed ur quictly stalen away from the people? 1 ‘do not tard over the Mostac or Purltan Sabbath, or who fs to help and preserva even the Christian dea upon this subject? For would watyo the argument on behalf of a Christian Sunday, und would ‘uardians of that broader dny of rost which belongs is that thera a6 a Sunday of the State, as woll as such oa thing o8 of man shall not only recelyo no detriment, Lut shafl bo wrought joy any long Many Sunday Jaws lic As statesmanship haa learned that conse is a better basis of law thin acctarlan ense, ‘Phe Inquiry comes at once, What should he the quality of this Sunday of the State? Well, It should endeavor to secure, na far as posallle, acessation of Inbor an thatday, ‘The details ot this civil Sunday would haye to be found ont by degrees. Such questions as whother mats should be carried on that day of reaty and whether o Monday paper should be printed, and whother any man should dig, or plow, or fiance: or shout, bavo not very obvious answers in this political philosophy. But thera would. be obyious dutica cnough'to keep Legislature, nnd Council, and executive officers busy for the time noeded for the discussion of tess obvious iestions of reforin. It securing this peace. lay for the people, {t woul be the frat and. greatest duty of the law to keep clused all the Grinkig-saloons sud sportlng-anloons. ‘To have 2,500 saloons open on any day of idleness fs uot only to rub the day of its prime quality, of its phyaical and men. tal rest, but It {a to transform the day into a vositiva evil. As Sunday now cxists in this city and In most cites, instead of being made for man it ig mado and austained against man, and fa ono of his most marked enemies, As thinga now are the Chicago Sunday (sa po Altlcal evil, and would, perhaps, as well be nbut- Ished as bo observed. Tt Isof uo advantage 40 the caminon people to have a day of rest from com- mon labor ff the day ts to bring an unusual out Jay of moncy and nn edain iy of the passions, If the stores aro closed und the manufactorics are closed, und the spade and ple are put aside for twenty-four hours only that glasses and bot. tles may rattle, and cards bo alufled, and dice cast, nnd hard-earned monoy bo wusted, then {t woul! better that industry ahould rule ail the saven days of tho week. Regulur Iabor all through the year would not {h{ure-n labore man half as much as te would be injured by A day whicl shute upa factory and which opens a saloon ts au absurdity. Tho theory of a closed buatocss aud an open wiilsky-shop would bo pardonabla if only a fow persons wero tho yictins of drink and of evil nssoc! tlons, for then tho State would be compelled to protect its Sunday because it must work for the many and not for the few; but it boluy the fact that, porhaps, a lurge majority of the Ine habitants of a city arc too weak In learaing or ia will-power to resist temptation would make it the probable duty of the civil power to abolish aday which that power ts tunable to divest of its rulnous Influence upon so many tena of thou- suuds. ‘Too part of the buinan faintly Suuday is a3 most precious boon, It cores in all the beauty of a release. As this throng moves to uud fro, to and from church, or to and irom tha fresh air, or ao friend's house, or as these pots sune elt at Lomo with the loved members of the house, or with a delightful bool in hand, or with the parlor full of muste, the Sunday ap- pears In its real divine oxccllence; but, while this Hinited nunber is thus extracting from tho day ite great worth, there fs a much larger mul- titude which is parting with money arn with mental peace and physicat health nnd with all possthle good at the counter of the apen saloons or in dens of vice. We who aco the Suyday in a few Protestant or Catholic familics sca little of {ts real quality, ‘fhat is the Church's picture, and {t Is quite beantitul; but, stepping out of the Httlo church world, just walk up und down the whisky avenacs und the beer avenues, where the Sunday of the State Is being celebrated, and all admiration of the day will be empticd out of thesoul. You will wish Monday would hasten its coming to deliver a hundred thousand puor mon froin the power of temptation, The Sun- day of the elyll power is simply a monster, ‘Thongands of poor man's wiyea and tens of thousands of children are full of furebodings on the morning of this so-called day of rest, and pray and hope that the father may pass over it in safety; aud these hearts crowhappter when Moudny morning returug and secs the head of the house resume his regular work again, haying onco more escaped the peril of a 8ab- bath. Whuto sarcasm that the State Sunday iF a biossing which resembled a destruction 50 vlosely. ‘ In many of the English manufacturing towns this duy of rest lias shown itself to be sucha steeping evil that the proprictors of factorics hove changed thelr pay-day from Saturday ta Monday, because the religious Sabbath was of such a character that thoussnds of men and women, and of boya nnd girls, afd not return to thelr Jnbora before Tuesday, and then they came penniless, with both body ant sou) nearer to an unworthy grave. What a awect day that must be indeed when it fs an open question whether thoso who are to enjoy it will liye over it. A broken head is more probable than a snyed soul. In-our Jand the Sunday fs not quite so nerllous, but yet {t is. a day whose evils many millions have not the power to escape. Soma years ago ono of the great coal-mining towns of this State pafd ‘out to workmen $25,000 ono Saturday nieht; and: by Monday morning almost the wholo amount had paased trom the Inborers to the saloon men and gamblera in the placo; and on Sunday, under the influence of the preclous rest of the Sabbath, the minera mashed in the windows of the only Sunday-achool room In the township. Thus the Sunday of our councilmen, und of our lorisla- tora, and of our politicians fs @ period which mothers and wives often alt upin tears all night to mark go by, and whose lust hour is blessed not because the day brought joy, but becausa they and theira hayo had the good fortuno to outlive lt. + It fs reported that 15,000 Catholics havo acnt ina petition to the Council of our city that It would closo all the saloons on Sunday. [hops this is true, But what we neo moro than pott- tions from Cntholicg nnd Protestants, fs peti- tons from human boings who ars of all creeds ornocreed. In making a State Sunday we want. the help oven of the lutidels, It docs nob pro- suppose ‘religion to potition for Sun day laws; it presupposes an {ntercst ip the welfare of the people. The fulldels all pre- tend tobo humane, ‘hoy call the Christians cruel becattse they hold to the idea of a helt hereafter. ‘Theso Infidels, therefore, should {n their tenderness join willingly In a legislation that might belp abolish the neil on earth. And It ts quite certain that for the establisiinent of oday of reat forthe people and for scpurating thatday from tho must powerful aud wide: spread of all tomptations, al! the best cltizons even of no religion whatever would comblnu, But so lung a8 this day {s tukeo under the pro- tecllon of the church-going fragment of s0o- clety If can never attack the places of tompta- tion with much hupe of success, Even the sa- Joon-Keepers themsclyes would respect tore # Jaw which should not seem to emanate from the religious clagacs, but from the general reasoning classca,—a law which, likn the abolition of thy slayo-trade or the law prevouting cruulty to ani- mals, should coma up not from a cliapel ora valuedealy but out of the yery busuin of civilizar ns ‘the efforts of the Churcharo directed so much agalust the use of malt and distilled drinks, and egaiuet Sunday walks and tulks, oud against all non-bellef, thut the Gormana und alo all Freee thinkers aro hostilo to the laws of evou physical and meutal and social well-helng that descend from a theological organ. Partly because ft {s feared tat soveror laws arc to come. [tsecins probable, therefore, that the people's Sunday Must be reformed by the public adiniasion of & murked difference between the rest day of Gor erninont and the rest day of Cirlattantty. In caring for tts fmmense multitude It mtght ho necesvary fur the Ciiv or Staty powers which close all saluous and gambling devs and botel- bans ou that one idioday of the week tu bo activo und generous {tn opening parks for the peuple, und in making them accessible cheaply und easily, and in opening lurge freo remllige rooms and Hbrarles in aach ward; fur the power which closes all the satoous should open something better, As a Christian [ could not udvocaty a resort to parks and the eatablishment of Bunday aftersuon tausie as beluga desirable metliod of tecting the wants of mun asa spiritual aud religious bos ing, but ft isa poluful fact that the State inust attempt to mect the wants of man as oa ig? norant, or childish, or erimfual, or drinking, of carousing belny, und may be compolled to ea tablish a Sunday suferior to that of religion, but superior to thatof the dramshop. Even ade: vout Christtan inight be willlng that millions vhontd be spent upon Sunday lbrarles, and parks, and Sunday music, if by_such compensa: Uons the temptations and crimes of the ealoons could be more effectually brought to an ond. ¥or closlug such places where thu mouvy of the poor is wasted, nud where crime ta multiplied, @ réligious nan can afford to pay what may seem to be 6 large price. ‘The Church belong wholly unable to establish ite own form of Suns day, it must bu asked what other form of that day can thy patriot and citizen substitute. thoueh this theme {fs of extraordinary fm- poreance, Lohould uot daro pase the ordinary Hinite of a discourses, ‘The folluwing conclu> slons acem perfectly true, That there Is a polft- {eal wisdom and a political benevolence which must cuard well the futureats of the common People und help them to o Ife of industry, und economy, and sobricty. That statesinanghtp ts a king out of the laws which will aeom tho highest good of the people. That thers Is a day of revt. demanded oact week by the lumat body and mind, but only so when the law can prevent the day from becoming one not of Test, but of ‘vice und crime, ‘That the Chorch fe unable to furnleh the massed with an actual Sunday. Men will uot belleve fo wor obey the philosophy of the Church. That, therefore, the State must con- foss thut the duty devolyes upon It of dnding o Sunday for the common public, a day that shall hush ‘the oolse of fabor, that shall chain the moneter vices which He tu wait for thos who have a fow tdle bourse, wid that shall help tho brea 1 snd the old too, to flod some sesorts ou hat day that shall be better than the roome which sell the driuke which -rob tho mau of bis